HAO’s repurposed Wood Shed mimics Taiwan’s forest landscape

Holm Architecture Office (HAO) unveiled designs for Wood Shed, an adaptive reuse project that will serve as an exhibition and event space. The proposal repurposes an existing long-span steel structure located along Taiwan’s coast on the outskirts of Taipei. Designed to maximize natural ventilation and light, the new building will be clad in a series of wooden fins that create a forest pattern and protect the interior from solar heat gain.

The building envelope’s tree-like silhouettes were inspired by the cypress forests of Alishan National Park, a national gem and popular destination located in Taiwan’s mountainous Chiayi County. HAO created the forest-inspired facade by designing a series of horizontal wooden louvers with small build-outs that, when stacked horizontally, create the outlines of trees. The forest-like wood facade helps tie the structure in with the surrounding landscape and provides shade for the interior.

The building’s old roof pitch will be raised to improve the flow of natural ventilation, while the corners of the two existing buildings will be lifted to create entrances. Clear polycarbonate panels with integrated lighting are sandwiched between the new facade and the existing structural framework. The Wood Shed may also be outfitted with solar panels and rainwater catchment systems.

“With the Wood Shed project we wanted to redefine the mainstream shed volume to directly reflect the beautiful surroundings of the Taiwan landscape,” says Jens Holm, HAO Director. “The project reuses the existing long span steel structure, keeping a completely flexible interior plan which allows the building to be used for a multitude of programs ranging from storage to exhibition space.” The 2,500-square-meter complex is currently under construction with an estimated completion date of 2016.